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Dec. 22: When God breaks in

DEVOTIONAL:
In today’s Scripture we find Hannah, Samuel’s mother, bringing him a robe as she and her husband Elkanah made their way to the temple to make the annual sacrifice. When we meet Hannah in the story she is visiting her son whom she gave to the Lord for His work because it was God who had given Hannah her son. In the chapter that proceeded today’s reading we find that Hannah was barren, unable to have children. Added to the pain and heartache of being barren we learn that Hannah is one of Elkanah’s two wives. Peninnah the other wife, who is not barren, provokes and irritates Hannah because she’s unable to have children.

One year while Hannah and Elkanah are at Shiloh making their annual sacrifice, Hannah cried out to God. Eli, the priest, saw this and listened to her concern. He told her to go in peace and that the God of Israel would grant her what she had asked for. The Lord answered Hannah’s prayer and opened her womb. Hannah gave birth to a son and she named him Samuel. Hannah in her distress cried out to the Lord and he heard her prayer. God broke through into Hannah’s life in a very real way through the birth of Samuel, but God didn’t stop there, he continued to bless Hannah and she bore five more children. As we enter into this Advent season, how is it that you need God to break through into your life?

Scripture: 1 Samuel 2:18-20 (NRSV)

Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy wearing a linen ephod.
19His mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year, when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
20Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, May the Lord repay you with children by this woman for the gift that she made to the Lord; and then they would return to their home.